Everything buyers ask before ordering.

A sharp picture lit from the front, where the subject is clearly visible. A recent phone photograph is usually more than enough. What matters is sharpness and light, not the camera. You can send more than one and we will tell you which will engrave best.

Yes, and it is a large part of what we do. Restoration is included at no extra charge: we repair creases, lift faded contrast and clean up the image before it is engraved. Send the best scan or copy you have and we will tell you honestly what is achievable.

By default yes, because a cluttered background competes with your subject inside the crystal. If you would rather keep it, say so when you order and we will keep it.

Up to about four in a block this size (50 x 50 x 80 mm). Beyond that each face becomes small and the engraving loses the detail that makes it recognisable. For a large group, ask us about a wider block.

On the crystal page, using the upload button inside the package you want, before you pay. Every package has one, because no crystal can be engraved without it. If you lose the file halfway through, the confirmation page will take it again using your order reference.

No, and no laser crystal engraving is. The laser creates white fractures inside the glass, so the image is white and shades of grey. It looks like a photograph carved in ice, and it is the depth, not the colour, that makes it remarkable.

In daylight you will see a subtle white image inside clear glass, easiest to make out against a dark background. On the lit stand it lifts out of the crystal completely. If you want the piece to be the centre of attention, take the stand.

It cannot fade or peel, because nothing is printed on the surface. The image is fractures inside the solid crystal, so there is no ink, no coating and nothing to rub away. Clean it with a soft cloth and it will outlast all of us.

It looks like the same photograph, but interpreted in white light inside glass, and it has depth that a screen cannot show you. We send a proof before engraving so there are no surprises.

A 50 x 50 x 80 mm block of K9 optical crystal (1.9 x 1.9 x 3.1 in), polished on every face, with your photograph engraved inside it. The display stand is optional and sold as part of the larger packages.

An 80 x 80 mm solid beech base with a warm white LED behind a 50 mm aperture. It is powered over USB and has an inline switch. The crystal sits in the recess on top.

Yes, and it is part of the package rather than a hidden extra. On its own a name on the wooden base is $15, but The Signature and The Heirloom include it. Text inside the crystal comes with The Heirloom, and the other three packages add it for $10. That line is engraved on the crystal's bottom face and brought forward, so it sits below your photograph. Type it on the crystal page before you pay, and change it if you like when the proof arrives.

Yes — a lit crystal keychain goes in every parcel at no charge, whichever package you choose. It is a 20 x 30 x 12 mm block of K9 optical crystal (0.78 x 1.18 x 0.47 in) on a 4.41 in chain, with a picture engraved inside it. Twist the ring above the crystal and a colour-cycling LED lights it up. You can send a separate picture for the keychain, or leave it and we will use the same photograph as your main piece. The battery is a replaceable button cell; it can lose charge if left unused for a long time, and it must not be swallowed, so keep it away from small children.

The Cube is $74, The Classic is $94, The Signature is $104, The Heirloom is $134. Every package includes the same engraving; they differ in how the piece is displayed and whether it carries a name.

We post within the United States only. Your postage is worked out from your ZIP code before you pay, so the price you see is the price you are charged: Alaska, Hawaii and US territories $24, Nearby states $9, Regional $12, Across the country $15. Parcels go out from 42101 in Kentucky, tracked and insured, cushioned and boxed.

Payment is handled entirely by Stripe on their own checkout page. Your card details go to Stripe and never reach our server, and we could not store them even if we wanted to. You can also buy through our Etsy shop if you prefer.

If we have not yet engraved your crystal, yes — cancel and we will refund you in full. Once the engraving is cut the piece is yours alone and cannot be resold, so at that point we can only replace it if it is faulty or damaged. The full policy is on our shipping and returns page.

Production usually takes a few working days from the moment you approve your proof, plus delivery. The proof is the part that depends on you: reply to it quickly and the whole order moves faster.

Crystal is heavy and it is breakable, so every piece ships cushioned and boxed, and breakage is covered. Send us a photograph of the damage within 14 days and we will replace the piece. See our shipping and returns page for the detail.

Tell us the date when you order. If we cannot make it in time we will say so before you pay rather than after.